If You're Not The One
by bittersweet123
Summary: Human AU. Ludwig has always been quite serious and reserved. When he meets the charming and outgoing Feliciano, they become quickly good friends despite their different personalities. But what happens when Ludwig's feelings turn into something more than friendship? The fact that Feliciano is already engaged doesn't help his situation at all...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Hetalia.

Mathias = Denmark

Emma = Belgium

Monika = Fem!Germany

Alice = Fem!Italy

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Why am I here again?_ Ludwig thought as he tried to make his way to the other side of the crowded room. Even though he had arrived to Alfred's party only about ten minutes ago, he already wished he had stayed home. The whole house was so full of people it was hard to walk without bumping on anyone, and the loud music (currently something by _Iggy and the Gentlemen, _that one band Alfred worshipped like crazy) was giving him a headache. Ludwig continued pushing past people, muttering apologies as he did so, until he finally found a less crowed corner.

Ludwig leaned against the wall and looked around the room. He wasn't sure how many of the guests actually knew Alfred, and how many had just come along with their friends. Alfred himself didn't seem to care about that – he kept chattering happily with anyone he came across, enjoying being the centre of attention. He was always like that, very talkative and outgoing. Sometimes Ludwig really envied his friend's social skills. He wished it wasn't so hard to him to get to know people and make friends with them. Not that he didn't mind spending his time alone; he actually enjoyed doing things by himself quite a lot. However, he couldn't help getting that empty feeling once in a while, as if something was missing from his life. And that feeling had only gotten worse after his recent breakup. Ludwig had no idea why. The relationship hadn't been satisfying at all, as he and Mathias had had barely anything in common besides their mutual love for beer. Breaking up with him had definitely been the right thing to do, Ludwig had no doubt about that. But still…

Ludwig quickly shook his head and scolded himself for having those thoughts again. No, he wasn't going to spend the whole evening being all gloomy about something he should have already gotten over with. Besides it was his good friend's birthday, and even though Ludwig was far from a party person, he knew Alfred had meant well when inviting him.

"It'll help you cheer up and have some fun!" he had said. "And hey, maybe you'll also meet some hot dudes there!"

Ludwig definitely wasn't in the mood to look for those "hot dudes", but he didn't feel like standing in the corner doing absolutely nothing, either. So he decided to go and get a beer instead. Just when he was getting ready for another walk among the huge crowd of people, something – or rather, someone – caught his attention. A young man was standing at the opposite side of the room, smiling brightly as he talked to the people around him. His hair was reddish-brown, his skin slightly tanned, and he was wearing casual but very fashionable clothes that fit him perfectly. Ludwig looked at him curiously; while he was absolutely sure he'd never met this man before, he couldn't help but think there was something… _familiar_ about him. Strange.

Ludwig didn't have time to think of what exactly was so familiar about the boy, as he saw Alfred approach him with a wide smile on his face.

"Hey Lud! Having a good time?"

Ludwig shrugged. "I could have, if there was any space to move. How many people did you exactly invite?"

Alfred just laughed. "Come on, that's how we party in NYC!"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, we're in Berlin and not in New York", Ludwig said dryly, making his friend roll his eyes.

"Dude, you need to relax! Here, take this!" Alfred said, handing Ludwig a can of beer. "You look like you need it!"

"Thanks."

"No problem, bro! And thanks again for the present, it's really awesome!"

"Please don't use that word. You sound like my idiot brother."

"Yeah, whatever. Have you seen Kiku, by the way?"

Ludwig nodded. "Yes, I think I saw him a while ago. Somewhere near the aquarium."

"Okay! I'll go look for him, then! See you!" Alfred said and rushed towards the living room.

_Well, at least I have something to drink now. _Ludwig opened the can and took a sip of his beer. He looked at the other side of the room, trying to find that familiar-looking guy, but he seemed to have gone elsewhere. Oh well, it wasn't like Ludwig was interested in him at all. He had just been a little curious, nothing else.

"Ludwig?"

Ludwig turned around. "Oh, hi Kiku", he greeted his friend. "I just saw Alfred, he was looking for you."

"Thank you, I'll go find him later. But I'd like you to meet my friend. Ludwig, this is Feliciano", Kiku said, gesturing at his company. To Ludwig's surprise, it was the very same man he had seen just a moment ago. Now when he was standing closer to him, Ludwig could take a better look at this

"So you're Ludwig!" the man said, smiling widely. "Kiku has talked a lot about you! Nice to finally meet!"

"Nice to meet you too, uh…" _What was his name again?_

"I'm Feliciano! But you can call me Feli, everybody does!"

"Feliciano recently moved here from Italy", Kiku said.

"Yeah! I don't know a lot of people here yet, so Kiku asked me to come with him to this party! It's been really fun here! Especially all the pretty ladies! But it would be even better if there was pasta…"

Ludwig listened as Feli babbled about how he missed Italian cuisine, gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke. _Huh, that guy sure talks a lot. _He was a little surprised that Kiku had never even mentioned Feliciano before. Maybe they had become friends only recently?

"So, uh", Ludwig said, when the Italian finally stopped talking. "How long have you been here?"

"About a month", Feliciano replied. "I really like Germany! But not as much as my country, of course!"

"Hey, Kiku, dude! Over here!"

The three men turned to see Alfred waving his hand in a distance. Kiku sighed.

"I guess I need to go and see what's with him", he said. "Ludwig, would you mind keeping Feliciano company for a while?"

Before Ludwig had a chance to answer, Kiku had already gone to talk to Alfred. Ludwig sighed. One of the things he hated the most was being left alone with someone he barely knew. He turned to Feliciano, who was smiling brightly.

"So we're going to spend some time together, huh?" the Italian said. "Well, that's great! I've always wanted to meet Kiku's other friends!"

Ludwig just nodded, not sure what to say. _Why must I be so bad at having conversations?_

"Uh, Ludwig?" Feliciano asked after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Could we, maybe, go to talk outside? It's pretty loud here…"

"Sure", Ludwig said, thankful that Feliciano had made that suggestion. He didn't feel like standing in the middle of the partying crowd any longer, especially now when some of the guests had decided to start a karaoke contest.

They moved to the terrace, where it was indeed much quieter than inside the house. A few other guests were also sitting there, talking and enjoying their drinks. Ludwig leaned against the wall, feeling a little relieved now when he wasn't surrounded by people. Feliciano stood next to him and took a sip from his glass of wine.

"So, Ludwig", the Italian said after a short moment of silence, "what do you think of this party?"

"Well, I don't really like parties like this", Ludwig answered truthfully. "But Alfred kept insisting me to come. So here I am."

Feli laughed softly. "You sound like my fiancée. She isn't a party person either. That's why she decided to stay home."

"Your fiancée?"

"Yes! I met Monika here in Berlin about three years ago, when I was visiting my cousin Alice. She actually introduced us, because she and Monika have been friends since high school. Anyway, we got engaged last month, not so long after I moved here!"

"I see. Well, I'm happy for you", Ludwig said.

"Thanks! And what about you, Ludwig? Do you have a significant other?"

"Um, not really", Ludwig replied. He was about to continue by telling about his breakup with Mathias, but decided not to. It wasn't like he was ashamed of what he was or who he loved, but he was always vary of what he revealed to new people.

"Ah, is that so?" Feliciano laughed. "Then I should introduce you to my cousin! She's single too, and a very nice girl! I'm sure you're gonna like her!"

"Ah, well, maybe", Ludwig said awkwardly. "Your German is very good, by the way. Have you been often in Germany?" he asked, trying to chance the subject.

"You think so? Thank you!" Feliciano beamed. "I actually used to live with my family in Austria for a few years. We moved back to Italy when I was, I guess, eleven years old? But we also visited Germany pretty often, because a lot of our relatives and other friends live here."

"You lived in Austria?" Ludwig asked surprised.

"Yeah! Have you ever been there?"

Ludwig nodded. "I used to spend my summers there when I was little. But I don't remember very much about it."

"Hey!"

The two men turned to see Alfred standing at the door.

"Here you guys are! Wanna sing some karaoke?"

"I don't think I…" Ludwig started, but Feliciano grabbed his arm.

"Sure, sounds fun! Come on, Luddy!" he said excited, pulling Ludwig inside with him. Ludwig sighed. It was going to be long until the party was over for him.

* * *

Next morning Ludwig was woken by the sound of birds chirping and the neighbors' children playing outside. He yawned, sitting up on his bed. _There should be a law that forbids children going outside before eight in the morning, _he thought as he got up. He would usually stay in bed longer at Sunday mornings, but he had already promised to help at the dog shelter today.

Ludwig walked to the kitchen and started making breakfast, still a little tired. In the end, he had only gotten a few hours of sleep after leaving the party (but not before Alfred had forced him to listen him sing _every _song from the latest album of _Iggy and the Gentlemen_). Now he mentally cursed himself for not just leaving earlier. _But that Feliciano guy was actually really nice, _he found himself thinking as he sat to drink his cup of coffee. He and the Italian had talked a lot at the party, and to Ludwig's surprise, they had ended up having a very good time together. Feli had told Ludwig about how he and Kiku had become friends when they went to the same art school in Italy, how he had wanted to continue with his art studies but ended up studying linguistics instead, and how he was going to teach Italian in a high school in Berlin. By the end of the night, it had felt like Ludwig had known Feliciano for ages, even though they had just met earlier the same evening. Ludwig smiled faintly. He didn't usually get so well along with new people, but now he had the feeling he and Feli could become good friends.

Ludwig's drive to work was peaceful as usual. When he arrived at the shelter, he was greeted by the barking of the dogs and Latin music playing on the radio. A Golden Retriever called Aster run towards him, her tail wagging happily. Ludwig smiled and knelt down to pet the puppy.

"Morning, Ludwig!" Tino stepped out of a room, holding a hot mug of coffee in his hand.

"Morning", Ludwig replied.

"Oh, looks like Aster is happy to see you", Tino said smiling. "She likes you a lot, doesn't she?"

"She sure does", Ludwig said. The dog barked happily.

Ludwig really enjoyed working at the shelter. While it wasn't the easiest or best-paying job, seeing the dogs happy and healthy was worth all the trouble. He had always liked spending time with animals, and dogs were his absolute favorites. Sadly he wasn't allowed to have pets in his apartment, but he loved the shelter's dogs like his own. He was especially fond of Aster and a German Shepherd called Berlitz.

The day went on as usual, with a lot of work to do. Ludwig was busy mopping the kennels when he was joined by Emma, one of his co-workers.

"Hi, Lud!" the girl said cheerfully. "So how was the party yesterday?"

Ludwig shrugged. "Typical Alfred. Loud music and so many people you could barely move."

Emma nodded sympathetically. "I can imagine. Did you at least meet any interesting people?"

"Well, Kiku introduced me to his friend..."

"Really? What's his name?"

"Feliciano."

"Oh, that's a pretty name. Is he from another country?"

"Yes, he's Italian."

"Wow. Is he handsome?" Emma asked, suddenly sounding very interested.

"I guess. And he was very nice too. We talked a lot."

"Really? Did you also ask him for a date?" she asked teasingly.

Ludwig sighed. "It's nothing like that. He's just a friend. Besides, he's already engaged. To a woman."

"Well, then you could ask him to introduce you to some of his single Italian friends!"

"You're spending too much time with Eliza", Ludwig said, shaking his head.

"Maybe. But hey, she's my best friend after all", Emma said. "Also, I'm pretty sure she agrees that Italians are the best lovers!"

"I don't think Gil would like to hear that."

"Yeah, he'd probably protest and say Prussians are the most _awesome_ lovers", she said laughing. "Well, I'm gonna see if Tino needs help with customers!"

She ran back inside the building. Ludwig was about to get back to mopping when he heard barking from his side. He turned to see Berlitz sitting there with a confused look in his eyes.

Ludwig petted the dog's head. "Yes, I know", he said sighing. "Women can be so strange sometimes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Dude, that movie totally sucked!" Alfred complained as he, Ludwig, Kiku and Heracles left the movie theatre. "I mean, did any of those dudes even know how to act? And dude, that plot was cliché as fuck. If I was that dude who wrote the story I'd sure…"

"Must you repeat the word 'dude' all the time?" Ludwig asked irritated. While Alfred spoke fluent German, he had a habit of adding random English words in his speech. Well, he was a "true American" after all.

"Have a problem with that, dude? Did you know that Oscar Wilde himself invented that word?"

"And from where did you get that fact?"

"From Tumblr, dude!" Alfred said, tossing his empty popcorn bucket into a trashcan.

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Of course", he sighed.

"I think", Heracles said, yawning, "I think the movie was pretty good."

"But I thought you slept through it", Kiku said.

"Not really, I missed only one part. That one between the food fight and the wedding."

"Dude, that's pretty much the entire movie!" Alfred laughed.

"Well anyway, I agree with Alfred", Ludwig said. "The plot was too cheesy. That woman falls in love with her best friend and then finds out he and her first love are actually the same person, but he has amnesia and doesn't remember his childhood? Those things just don't happen in real life."

"How do you know, Ludwig? Anything could be possible", Kiku said. "Especially in love", he added quietly.

"Aww, our Kiku is a huge romantic! And I thought your only experience about love came from dating sims", Alfred teased.

Kiku blushed. "That's not true. And when was the last time _you _had an actual date?"

"Well, it's not my fault all the hot dudes are always taken!"

"Or maybe the reason you don't have a boyfriend is that you're too busy obsessing about that singer with caterpillar eyebrows", Ludwig said.

"Hey, shut up! Iggy is the new king of rock!" Alfred said. "You just don't understand his music at all. Anyway, I'm pretty hungry now. Is anyone in the mood for some McDonald's?"

"You just ate an entire bucket of popcorn", Kiku pointed out.

"Yeah, but now I'm hungry again."

"I think I'll pass", Ludwig said. "I'm too tired. Also I'll have a long day at the shelter tomorrow."

"You're boring. What about you, Herc?"

"I should go home, too", Heracles replied. "I have to feed the cats."

"I heard you have a new kitten, is it true?" Kiku asked.

"Yes. You'd like to come to see him?"

Kiku nodded shyly. "I'd love to… If that's fine with you, of course."

Heracles smiled. "No problem. I'm sure he'd like to meet you, too."

After parting ways with his friends, Ludwig headed back home. The walk didn't take long as the apartment was quite near the city center. He opened the door, removed his jacket and walked to the living room. He still wasn't completely used to how tidy and silent his home was nowadays. Only a few weeks ago he would have been greeted by Mathias' rambling about his day, and the living room would have been full of empty beer cans and other trash. And like always, Mathias would have just ignored Ludwig's nagging about the mess.

Ludwig sat on the couch, sighing. Now when Mathias wasn't around anymore, he had much more time for himself. And while he sometimes felt bored or lonely, he definitely didn't want his loud and annoying ex-boyfriend back. It was much better this way. Also he still had his friends, so it wasn't like he was completely alone.

Ludwig thought about taking a shower and going to bed, but decided to check his email first. He opened his laptop and soon found himself in Facebook, looking at his friends' notifications. There wasn't really anything new. Alfred was spamming memes and Iggy's music videos, Kiku was having a discussion with his cousin (the whole conversation was in Japanese and Chinese, so Ludwig had no idea what they were talking about) and Heracles' page was, as always, full of cat videos. Ludwig's brother Gilbert was complaining about his "unawesome" day at work and bickering with his girlfriend Elizabeta.

Emma had posted pictures of food – mostly cakes and waffles – and links to recipes, like she did quite often. She loved baking as much as Ludwig did, and they exchanged recipes once in a while. Tino usually posted music videos of those strange heavy metal bands he liked, and pictures of himself with his friends and family. Ludwig looked at one of the pictures his co-worker had posted recently. It was a photo of him and his family standing in the backyard of a small red house that, according to the pictures description, was his parents' cottage in Finland. Tino's husband Berwald had his arm wrapped around him, and their one-year-old son Peter was grinning happily in Tino's arms. All three looked so happy – even the usually serious Berwald had something resembling a smile in his face.

_nice shorts Ber XD_

Ludwig sighed at Mathias' comment on the picture. Of course he had to make stupid remarks every time he had a chance. Then again Tino and Berwald most likely didn't mind that. Mathias was their good friend anyway.

Ludwig sighed again in annoyance. He didn't want to start reminiscing about the day he and Mathias had first met at a party at Tino's house. _I've had enough Internet for today, _he thought. Just when he was about to exit the page, he saw a new friend notification. A little surprised, he clicked on it and then smiled when he saw a familiar name. Feliciano Vargas.

* * *

Feliciano was so focused on typing he almost didn't notice his apartment door opening and closing.

"Hi, _carina_", he greeted. "Nice run?"

He looked up to see Monika step into the kitchen dressed in her jogging clothes. Her hair was dripping wet.

"It was until it started raining." She glanced at his laptop's screen. "Who are you chatting with?"

"Ludwig. Remember when I told you about him?"

Monika nodded. "Wasn't he that one friend of Kiku?"

"Yes!" Feliciano smiled. "He's really cool. You should meet him some day! Hey… I've got an idea! Why don't we ask him to have dinner with us and Alice?"

"You're talking about this Saturday?" Monika asked.

"Yes! Sounds good, doesn't it?"

"Sure, why not", she said. "But remember that you promised to pay for everyone."

"As if I'd ever break my promises!"

Monika laughed softly. "Good to know. I'm taking a shower."

She disappeared into the bathroom, and Feliciano returned to the conversation he was having with Ludwig.

_so Lud… any plans for weekend? :)_

It didn't take long for Ludwig to respond:

_Not actually. I have work at the shelter on Saturday morning, but otherwise I haven't planned anything special to do. _

Feliciano couldn't help but smile at the way his friend typed. His spelling and grammar were nearly flawless even in chat conversations like this. Feliciano had once told him he was a perfect example of German perfectionism, to which Ludwig had replied that Feli was a typical Italian with his huge love for food, especially pasta.

_great! because me Monika & Alice are going to a restaurant in saturday evening, and I wanted to ask if you wanna come too!_

_That could be nice. But is your girlfriend okay with that?_

_yeah! :D I just asked her and she said its just fine!_

_I have just one question… Who was Alice again?_

_my cousin! I told about her at the party remember?_

_Oh, right. Now I remember._

_I'm sure youre gonna like her! she's a really charming girl ;)_

_Well, we'll see._

They continued chatting for a while until Ludwig had to go to sleep ("Busy day tomorrow"). Feliciano closed the laptop and walked towards the bathroom, where Monika was still showering.

"Hey, dear?" he knocked softly at the door. "Can I come in?" Without waiting for an answer, he opened the door and stepped inside.

"What do you want now?" he heard Monika ask from behind the shower curtain.

Feliciano smiled, closing the door behind him.

"Oh, I just thought you could want some company, ve!" he replied in an innocent tone.

Monika opened the curtain a little to look at Feliciano. "You don't need to, Feli. I've almost finished."

"Oh, come on… It's been a while since we last showered together!"

She sighed. "That's true, I admit."

Feliciano smirked. "So was that an invitation?"

Monika sighed again, but there was a small smile in her face. "Okay, then. Come here."

It took less than a second for Feliciano to strip out of his clothing and join her under the warm water. He gave a content sigh as they wrapped their arms around each other.

"Is this good?" he asked quietly, stroking her back. Monika nodded against his shoulder.

"You should take it easy, you know", he continued. "You do already a lot of work at the café."

"Don't talk about that", she huffed.

"Aww, had a bad day at work?"

"Pretty much. Alice got into a fight with Francis again."

"Really?" Feliciano raised an eyebrow. "For what reason this time?"

"The usual. She complained about him being to bossy and a war started again." She gave Feliciano an irritated look. "Your cousin can be so stubborn sometimes."

Feliciano giggled.

"What's so funny?" Monika asked.

"Look who's talking! You're the one who's always stubborn!"

"I'm not!" she protested. Feliciano just laughed, kissing the top of her head.

"You totally are! And that's what makes you so cute!"

"You're an idiot".

"Hm… I guess I am", Feliciano murmured. "But you like that about me, don't you?" He softly kissed Monika on her lips.

"You're right about that", Monika whispered before kissing back, passionately. Soon there was no need for talking anymore.

* * *

Feliciano lied content in bed, listening to the sound of raindrops falling against the window. Monika sat next to him, reading a magazine. She was wearing a silky white night dress. Feliciano hadn't bothered to change into his pajamas after the shower (which, in the end, had turned into something _more_ than just showering); he usually slept naked, especially during summer. Monika was quite used to that.

"Hey, Mona…"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Ludwig and Alice could get along?"

"Maybe? I don't know. I haven't met him yet, so I can't tell really. But Alice is pretty good at making friends, so…" She suddenly put the magazine down and looked at Feliciano. "Wait. Don't tell me you're planning to set them up?"

"What? Where did you get that idea?" Feliciano asked innocently. Monika sighed.

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't even think about that. She doesn't need anyone right now, especially after breaking up with that creepy Russian."

"But Ivan was a nice guy!"

Monika grimaced. "More like a future serial killer."

"Aw, don't be like that! Why do you always dislike her boyfriends?"

"Because they're never good enough for her", she replied with annoyance in her voice.

Feliciano just laughed at the remark. He sat up and gently rubbed his girlfriend's shoulder.

"You're truly a good friend", he said. "And so is Luddy. He'd treat her well, I'm sure of that."

Monika laughed dryly. "How do you know? You've only known him for two weeks."

"Yes, but… Somehow it feels like we've known each other for much longer", Feliciano said with a thoughtful look on his face. "Actually, this may sound crazy but… When I first saw him in Alfred's party, he looked so familiar I was almost sure I'd seen him somewhere before."

"That's strange", Monika said.

"Yeah, it is", Feliciano said yawning.

Monika smiled at him. "I guess it's time to go to sleep", she said, reaching to turn off the lamp on the bedside table. "Good night."

"Good night, Mona. _Ti amo_."

"Love you too."

* * *

"I'm going to see Mr. Edelstein!" Feliciano shouted from the front door.

"Have fun, Feli!" his grandfather said smiling. "Remember to come back before dinner time."

"I will! Bye _Nonno_!"

Feliciano run happily along the little path in the forest. He couldn't wait to get to Mr. Edelstein's house. The man always practiced with his piano at this time of the day, and his music was so beautiful Feliciano would sit listening for a long time without getting bored at all. _When I grow up, _he thought, _I want to be a musician too!_ Soon he was at the gate of the huge yellow house, and he could already hear the music coming from inside. But then he noticed something unusual. There was a boy in Mr. Edelstein's garden, sitting under the apple tree.

Feliciano was confused. Mr. Edelstein had never told him he had children – he wasn't even married, right? He quietly approached the other kid until he was standing right in front of him.

"Hi!" he said, causing the boy to look at him.

"Hello", the boy replied shyly, staring at him with his big blue eyes.

Feliciano smiled. "I'm Feliciano! What's your name?"

"My name is…"

Before the boy could finish his answer, the sudden sound of thunder startled Feliciano. He snapped his eyes open, only to find himself lying in his bed, with his fiancée fast asleep next to him. Outside, it kept raining heavily.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"…So, yes, we decided to have dinner together tonight", Ludwig spoke to the phone as he looked through his wardrobe. His brother had called to invite him over to play video games, and when Ludwig had told him about his plans with Feliciano, he had wanted to know everything about Ludwig's new acquaintance. So here he was, answering to Gilbert's countless questions while trying to find something to wear for the evening.

"You finally made a new friend! Aww, big brother is so proud!" Gilbert said.

"Stop talking like I'm a little kid", Ludwig said annoyed. The older brother just laughed at the other end of the line.

"But hey, have fun! Maybe you could bring that Fernando guy with you next time you come to visit!"

"It's _Feliciano_", Ludwig corrected. "And I doubt he likes beer or your stupid shooting games." He picked a shirt, only to put it back in the closet after deciding it didn't look good enough. Why did all of his nice clothes have to be in laundry just now?

"Come on! Why wouldn't he like beer? It's the most awesome thing ever! Well, the most awesome thing after Prussia, I mean. Anyway if he's as awesome as you told me I really wanna meet him some day, so prepare to introduce us and… Hey? Lud? Are you listening?"

"Huh? Yes, sorry. I'm just looking for clothes to wear."

"Clothes?" Gilbert snickered. "Why is my always so manly little brother acting like a teenage girl going to her first date? Don't tell me you're crushing on that Feli guy!"

"I'm not!" Ludwig said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I just… Well, Feliciano seems to care a lot about fashion and I don't want to… I mean…"

"Hey, Lud. Don't sound so nervous. You're already friends with that guy, right? There's no need to stress so much. But hey, I gotta go now. Just relax and have a good time, okay? Bye!"

"Okay. Bye."

Ludwig hung up and sat on his bed, sighing. Gilbert was right; he shouldn't feel so nervous. It wasn't like he and Feliciano were complete strangers, they chatted almost every day after all. Then again talking face to face was different than chatting in the Internet, and unlike the first time they met, Ludwig wouldn't have Alfred and Kiku with him. Not to mention he had never met Feliciano's cousin and girlfriend before. He couldn't help but be afraid that he wouldn't come up with anything to say and just sit feeling awkward the whole time. And what if Feliciano thought he was too boring and didn't want to talk to him anymore? It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened to him…

_No, Ludwig, stop,_ he scolded himself. _You're overthinking again. _He went back to the closet and finally managed to find a decent-looking pair of clothes – a white button shirt and khaki pants. He placed the clothes on the bed and looked at the clock on his bedside table. _Good, _he thought, _I still have time to take a shower_.

In half an hour, he was ready to go.

* * *

"I can't wait to see Ludwig again", Feliciano said. He, Monika and Alice were walking down the street, on their way to the restaurant. "I've really missed talking to him. He's such a nice guy!"

"He sure must be if you can't stop talking about him", Alice said. "But hey, are you sure I'm looking good?" she asked, probably for the fiftieth time since he'd joined Monika and Feliciano at the station. Feliciano could clearly see his cousin had put her best effort to look good this evening. She was wearing a short red dress, golden heels and a handbag that matched the dress' color.

"You're looking pretty", Monika assured her. She was dressed more modestly in white pants and a long-sleeved black shirt.

"Yeah! I'm sure you'll make a good impression on him!" Feliciano said.

"Thanks guys", Alice laughed. "I hope so."

When they got near the restaurant, Feliciano saw Ludwig was already there, standing near the door. He was looking at his cell phone and didn't see them walking towards him.

"Hey, Lud! Over here!" Feliciano shouted and waved his hand, causing Ludwig to look up from his phone.

"Is _that_ your friend?" Alice whispered. "Wow, you didn't tell me he's a total hottie!"

Feliciano ignored her and went to greet Ludwig.

"Nice to see you again!" he said, pulling his friend into a tight hug. "How have you been?"

"Fine, I guess", Ludwig replied. "Nice to see you too". Feliciano pulled away from him, still smiling.

"Ludwig, I want you to meet these two lovely ladies. This is Monika, my dear fiancée."

Monika reached to shake Ludwig's hand. "Nice to meet", she said politely.

"And I'm Alice!" Alice rushed to introduce herself. "Feli has told you about me, right? You're more handsome than I expected!"

"Uh, thanks", Ludwig replied. Feliciano couldn't help but smile at his awkward reaction. _They'll sure make a good couple, _he thought. _Hope my plan works…_

The restaurant was nice and tidy without being overly fancy. Every table was decorated prettily with flower vases and yellow tablecloths, and colorful paintings were hanging on the wooden walls. There was also a dancefloor and lively jazzmusic playing from the stereo. The group sat down around a small round table near the corner.

"Wow, this place is lovely!" Alice exclaimed, looking around. "Mona sure knows how to pick the best restaurants!"

"Thanks", Monika said. "I heard the food they make is really good, so I wanted to try it."

"Well", Feliciano said, grabbing a menu, "in that case, I hope their pasta is delicious!"

"This is a seafood restaurant", Monika said.

"But they can still have pasta." Feliciano looked through his menu. "This sounds good! _Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo_!"

"Really? I hope they have pizza too", Alice said, looking at her own menu. Soon everyone had chosen what to eat, and when a waiter came to their table they all gave him their orders.

* * *

The dinner went on better than Ludwig had expected. He didn't have to worry about not having much to say, as Feliciano seemed to be comfortable with leading the conversations for the most part. Alice was almost as talkative as her cousin, and very friendly and outgoing as well (though Ludwig could have done without all the flirtatious glances she kept giving him). Monika on the other hand seemed a little shy, but started to open up when Ludwig mentioned his job a the shelter.

"Oh, you're so lucky", she said, sighing. "I really love dogs."

"Really? Do you have a dog at home?"

Feliciano shook his head. "Sadly not. Our apartment is too small for any pets to live there."

"Yeah", Monika said. "Your painting stuff fills almost the entire place."

"You paint?" Ludwig asked Feliciano.

"Yes. Remember when I told you I used to study art?" Ludwig nodded. "Well, I still like painting as a hobby, even though I'm not very good…"

"Oh, shut up!" Alice interrupted. "Stop putting yourself down like that. Ludwig, he's _amazing _at painting. You should see some of his works, they're masterpieces!"

Feliciano laughed nervously. "Oh, they're not really _that _good…"

"And he makes great music too!" Alice continued. "Feli, you have to let Ludwig hear some of your songs some day!"

Feliciano gave another sheepish laugh, and Ludwig couldn't help but think of how he'd really love to hear him sing.

"Seriously cousin, you're way too modest", Alice said, shaking her head. "This _Frutti di Mare _is delicious, by the way."

The cousins soon got into a debate about whether pizza or pasta was better. Monika gave them an amused smile before turning to Ludwig.

"How is your salad?" she asked him.

"It's great", he replied. Ludwig had never been a fan of seafood, but to his surprise the tuna salad he had ordered tasted better than he could have imagined. Whoever cooked in this restaurant was definitely doing a good job.

"Really? Well, I guess I could order that the next time I come here", she said. "But this grilled salmon is also really good."

"I'm sure Kiku would love it", he said, thinking about his friend's huge love for salmon.

Monika laughed softly. "True. I should've asked him to come along."

Ludwig was about to ask her how she knew Kiku, but then he remembered. _Of course. She's his fiancée. _He looked at Feliciano, who was stuffing another forkful of shrimp pasta into his mouth._ Why wouldn't she be familiar with his friends?_ Suddenly he wondered why Kiku had never brought Feliciano up in any of their conversations. Sure, the quiet Japanese didn't usually talk very much about himself, but Ludwig still found it quite strange he hadn't even mentioned Feli, despite having been friends with him since high school.

"Is something wrong, Ludwig?" Monika asked. Ludwig realized he had been lost in his thoughts again.

"Uh, it's nothing." He shrugged. "Nothing important."

Soon they all were finished with their food. After paying for everyone's dinner (Ludwig suggested he could pay at least part of it, but Feliciano absolutely refused), Feliciano looked at his watch and said:

"It's getting really late. Monika, we should hurry up before our train leaves."

"True", Monika said, standing up.

"Aww, must you go now?" Alice complained. "Why don't you just take the next train?"

"No, but we really have to go", Feliciano said. "I need to, um…"

"Wash your pencils, right?" Monika asked.

"_Sí! _I mean, yes! I need to wash my pencils!"

Alice sighed. "Your excuses keep getting stupider every day", she muttered.

"Well, I guess it's time to leave then", Ludwig said. He was about to rise from his chair, but Feliciano stopped him.

"Nonsense!" he said. "You two still have a lot of time for fun! We don't want to ruin their night by leaving too early, right Mona? Well Lud, how about you take her to dance or something?" he pointed at the dancefloor, where a few couples were moving in the rhythm of the smooth jazz playing in the background.

"But…"

"Have fun, you two!" Feliciano said before Ludwig had a chance to continue. "Okay, we really need to go now. _Ciao!_"

He winked at Ludwig before turning to leave. _And what was that supposed to mean? _Ludwig thought confused.

"Bye, Alice. It was nice to meet you, Ludwig", Monika said and turned to follow Feliciano outside.

"Bye, Mona and stupid cousin!" Alice shouted after them.

Ludwig only stared at the front door, still trying to proceed what had just happened. "Well", he finally said. "That was… Strange."

"I've known him too long to be surprised about anything", Alice huffed, and then smiled. "Anyway… You can dance, right?"

* * *

"Ugh, I_ hate_ high heels!" Alice complained as he and Ludwig exited the restaurant. "I'm never gonna dance with these again. But hey, you were really good!"

"Thanks", Ludwig replied. "I guess I should be grateful to my mother."

"Your mother? Why?"

"She once forced me and my brother to take dancing lessons when we were kids", Ludwig explained.

"That's cute! I didn't know you had a brother. What is he like?"

"Well… His name is Gilbert, he likes birds and uses the word 'awesome' way too much. Also, he's so obsessed with Prussia that he calls himself Prussian instead of German."

Alice laughed. "He sounds like an interesting guy."

"More like annoying", Ludwig sighed. "By the way, where do you live?"

"_Siegfriedstraße._ Why?"

"It's quite near my house. I could drive you there if you want to", Ludwig offered.

Alice flashed him a bright smile. "Well, thank you. You sure are a gentleman!" She brushed her fingers against his hand. Ludwig quickly pulled his hand away.

"It's getting cold", he said. "Let's go."

"Okay…" Ludwig could clearly hear the disappointment in her voice. He didn't say anything and just kept walking forward. _Well done, Ludwig. This is going to be an awkward drive, _he thought.

"Ludwig! Hey, Lud!"

Ludwig almost froze when he heard the voice calling his name. He mentally cursed when he saw a very familiar spiky-haired man running towards him.

"Hi, Mathias", he said, sighing.

"Well, aren't you enthusiastic", Mathias said, pretending to look disappointed. "Don't say you haven't been missing me?"

"Not at all."

"That's actually good to hear. And hey, who's that beauty?" he asked.

"I'm Alice", Alice said. "Your accent is funny. Where do you come from?"

"I'm Danish", Mathias replied. "And I could say the same about your accent. Are you from Spain or something like that?" he asked.

"I'm Italian."

Mathias grinned. "Nice to meet, _bella signorina_", he said. "I'm Mathias."

Alice laughed. "You pronounced it completely wrong. But nice to meet you too, Mathias. So Ludwig, are you friends with this guy?"

"Well, actually…" Ludwig began, but was interrupted by Mathias.

"Actually, I'm his ex", he said. Ludwig sighed. Could that guy ever keep his mouth shut?

"What are you even doing here?" he asked dryly. He expected Mathias to make a remark about everyone's right to a private life, but to his surprise the other man just smiled even more widely.

"Oh, I was just visiting my dear Lukey."

"You mean Lukas?" Ludwig asked surprised.

"Yeah!" Mathias said, happiness radiating from his face. "Didn't I tell you we've started dating again?"

Ludwig shook his head. When he and Mathias met for the first time, the Dane had just ended his relationship with his long-time boyfriend. Ludwig never got to meet Lukas, but Mathias talked to him so often that it made him wonder if the other was completely over his past relationship. Mathias had always denied that whenever Ludwig asked him, saying he wouldn't even dream about leaving him and going back to "that emotionless Norwegian troll". But apparently Ludwig's suspicions had been true the entire time.

"Well, congratulations", he said.

"Thanks!" Mathias grinned. "And you? Seeing any hot guys?"

"I have better things to do", Ludwig answered. "Anyway, we should go now…"

"Ah, okay, I get it. I'm being too intrusive again? Sorry. I guess I should give you some space…"

"It's alright, don't worry", Ludwig said, surprised of how considerate Mathias was acting suddenly. He'd never been like that when they still were together. "But I really need to get home, it's getting late and I have work tomorrow."

Mathias nodded. "Well, okay then. It was nice to have a chat with you. Bye!"

"Bye, Mathias", Alice said.

"Bye, _bella!_"

After Mathias left, Ludwig and Alice continued walking towards Ludwig's car.

"So", Alice said after a while, "that guy used to be your… boyfriend?

Ludwig just nodded.

"Oh, okay. So… Are you gay?"

Ludwig nodded again. "Yes."

"Oh."

There was a short moment of silence. Then, to Ludwig's surprise, Alice's face broke into a smile.

"Well, that explains a lot", she said, laughing. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea you liked guys! Monika was right, I really need to stop flirting with every new man I meet!"

Ludwig let go a quiet sigh of relief. "It's okay, you don't need to apologize. I had a fun night anyway."

"Me too, Ludwig. And I'm glad to know we have something in common."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm bisexual."

They reached Ludwig's car, which was parked next to the sidewalk. Once they were seated inside, Ludwig started the engine and began driving.

"Mind if I turn on the radio?" Alice asked after a while. "I always listen to music when I drive."

"Sure", Ludwig replied.

As Ludwig drove, Alice was mostly quiet, occasionally humming along the songs playing on the radio. Ludwig was content with that; they had spent the whole evening talking anyway.

"Hey", she said suddenly. "Isn't this that one chick who was in Eurovision this year?"

"Yes, it's _Cascada_. They're actually a group."

"The more you know. Do you watch Eurovision?"

"Yes, but I'm not really a fan or anything. My friend Alfred is crazy about it, though. Which is funny because he's American."

"Well, it's also funny how you Germans are fans of that one American guy… David Hasselhoff, right?"

"Well, _I'm _not his fan."

Alice laughed. "By the way, Ludwig…"

"Yes?"

"It seems that my dear cousin was trying to set you up with me. Don't you think so?"

"What?" Ludwig stared at Alice in disbelief.

"I mean, doesn't that explain why he was acting so strange?"

That did actually make sense – Feliciano had seemed very eager to leave him alone with Alice after all. Not to mention how he had praised her many times during their chat sessions on Facebook. Ludwig hadn't thought much about it; he had just assumed Feliciano admired his cousin a lot. But now when he thought about it, it was pretty clear what his friend's intentions had been.

"I think you're right", he said finally.

Alice sighed. "Oh, that Feliciano... Trying so hard to help me… I guess he's feeling bad for me for not having a relationship like his? I mean, he's been dating my best friend for four years now, and they're going to marry next summer. While I'm here, jumping from one relationship from another…" She suddenly stopped talking and looked at Ludwig sheepishly. "Sorry, I must be rambling too much?"

"It's alright", Ludwig said. "You and Feli seem to be very close?"

"Oh, yes!" Alice said, now sounding more cheerful. "We've been best friends since we were little. As kids we were together almost all the time, and people sometimes thought we were twins, even though I'm one year older. But well, it's no surprise because we look so similar, right?"

Ludwig nodded. She looked a lot like Feliciano indeed, with her round face, auburn eyes and a little curl in the left side of her head (even though her hair was a different shade of brown). It was almost like she was the female version of her cousin.

"Then again, we were also different in many ways", Alice continued. "I was a wild child, always looking for adventures… While Feli was really shy and sensitive, and got easily scared."

Ludwig wasn't sure if he had heard right. "Shy?" he repeated

"Yeah, it's pretty hard to believe now". Alice smiled. "And he liked all kinds of girly things, sometimes he even wore dresses!"

Ludwig laughed a little at the thought of Feliciano as a kid, running around wearing a frilly little dress. _He must have been a cute child._

Alice laughed too. "And I was a total tomboy. I rather wore boys' clothes and always cut my hair short. No wonder the neighbor kids thought I was a boy for a long time!"

Alice continued talking about her family in Italy for the rest of the ride, while Ludwig mostly listened and occasionally made comments. Soon they had already arrived to her home street.

"Thanks for driving me here", Alice said. She opened the door and stepped out of the car. "By the way, do you know a café called _La Rose Rouge_?"

"That one next to the archeology museum?"

"Yeah, that one. Me and Monika work there, so come to visit us some day? There is good cake too!"

"Well… Maybe I could come some day."

"Great! Well, bye then! And thanks again for the ride!" Alice said before closing the car door behind her and hurrying inside the apartment.

Ludwig couldn't help but smile. The night had turned out better than he had expected. And now he had also made another friend.

* * *

"Feli?"

"Yes?"

"You've been looking out of that window for a long time now. Is something wrong?"

Feliciano turned to look at Monika. "Oh, nothing's wrong", he said, smiling. "I'm just thinking, that's all."

"Thinking? About what?"

"Like, how Ludwig and Alice's date is going!"

"I guess you'll have to ask them tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess." Feliciano returned to stare out of the train's window. It had been a long day, and he was already feeling very tired. He couldn't wait to get back home and fall asleep.

That night, Feliciano dreamt of cute dresses, the Alps and piano music – and a little boy looking at him with his big blue eyes.

* * *

**A/N: **With this story, I usually publish a chapter only after I've already written the following one. However, I'm currently a little stuck with the story and I don't want to keep you guys waiting for too long. So, here you are! Hope you liked the chapter and will continue reading the story, even though the updates might be a little slow.

I'm not sure how well I write fem!Germany and fem!Italy. I'm trying not to make their personalities too similar to Ludwig and Feli, since in this fic they're separate characters after all. But writing them is kinda hard especially when they don't really appear in the canon series (save from that one strip/episode).

Anyway, if you have any questions you want to ask about this fic, feel free to send me a message here or on my tumblr (the-lettuce)!


End file.
